Confused

they r to comletley different things, with different purposes.
prime: priming parts is painting it with a primer, (a special type of paint, kinda like thinned putty)which servers serveral purposes. it will provide a solid base coat colour for subsequent colour coats, aswell as aiding with adheision of the the paint. it will help u spot surface imperfections, and if any puttying was done, it will provide a uniform surface. it will fill minor scrathes and rough areas. i recewntly have been using mrbase white 1000 as my primer and am very happy with the results.
now, a was is a very diluted paint which u apply to a model to higlight certain thing, such as bolts, panel lines etc... becauswe it is so thin it will run easily where u want it to go. i feel tha enamels are best for wshes.
hope this helps ya out mate!

here r some links which will help ya
http://www.swannysmodels.com/Tools.html
http://italianhorses.net/Tutorials/tutorials.htm

Thanks, you're the man. Those websites are good too.

So does that mean using emanal paints are good washes? Or is there another type of wash meant solely for washing?

There are two common types of paint used in modeling(I think). Enamel and Acrylic. Acrylics are water based so they can be thinned and cleaned up with water. Enamel paints need mineral spirits or alcohol to be thinned and cleaned up. I don't think you can by a "wash" in a jar, you have to make it yourself by thinning your paint with the appropriate thinner(water or mineral spirits).

Thanks bud156.

I think using a primer would be simplier now. But opinions will change.

one thing i forgot to mention bout washes..... say u paint ur kit with acryls, use a enamel wash, coz enamel thinners wont lift acrlys, and vice versa. the reason i say this is if u need to remove any excess or a mistake, it wont damage the underlying paint job, if ya know what i mean....

I've got it. Thanks

QUOTE: Originally posted by bud156 . Enamel paints need mineral spirits or alcohol to be thinned and cleaned up.

Perhaps de-natured alcohol, but when most of us think alcohol in this context, we think isoppropyl or rubbing alcohol which will not mix with enamels.

To the main question, I find that artists' oil paint is the best medium for washes. You have better control of the mix and the pigments are the finest available. They also last forever.

Some of the Citadel paint range (Warhammer) are dedicated washes or inks that can be used in the same fashion. Still might require thinning to taste however.

Lets say i'm using Tamiya Acrylic's for my plastic painting. Is it necessary to thin the paint before applying them onto my kit?

QUOTE: Originally posted by umustb Lets say i'm using Tamiya Acrylic's for my plastic painting. Is it necessary to thin the paint before applying them onto my kit?

Yep, thinning is important, else the paint wil be to thick and look like a mess.
I saw a tread on the same subject, I think they sugested a 3:1 paint/thinner ratio in that thread.

Thanks RemcoGrob.

It's now time to get more thinners for this. Tamiya thinners should be suitable for Tamiya acrylic's aren't they? Or someone has a better and cheaper suggestion?